I don't know about you, but one of my favorite parts about going to a movie is seeing the previews. I enjoy the excitement and anticipation these little glimpses create, sort of how hors d'oeuvres whet the appetite before a meal. Our senses become heightened and we watch and wait eagerly for what's next!
Christ's atonement for the sins of mankind by His crucifixion and resurrection is like the feature film or main course foreshadowed in the Old Testament. From the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent's head to the Passover lamb of the exodus; from the kinsman-redeemer of Ruth to the suffering Savior of Isaiah and the good Shepherd of David's psalms, Jesus is everywhere previewed in the pages of Scripture! Even the layout of the temple was but an earthly reflection of a heavenly reality, which is why God gave such detailed instructions to Moses regarding its construction and the service of the priests (Heb. 8:5).
Christ's life and sacrifice recorded in the gospels act as the hinge pin of God's Word. More than that, it is the very turning point of all of history! Now, on the other side of the cross, we await Christ's second coming—His return in glory to judge the world and make all things new. Maybe you're wondering if we have a glimpse of Jesus' return...and the answer is yes! Beginning in the book of Acts we see a new "temple" under construction. A living temple. A temple whose High Priest sits at the right hand of God (Heb. 8:1). That temple is the church.
We are God's preview to the watching world! It is no accident that the epistles contain practical, detailed instructions about how Christ's church is to be structured. Just as the Lord said to Moses regarding the tabernacle, "See that you make [everything] according to the pattern shown you on the mountain" (Ex. 25:40), so He says to us regarding the order of worship in the church, "Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored...everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way" (1 Cor. 14:36–38, 40, emphasis added).
Many today come before the Lord with "profane fire", structuring the church in ways which He has not commanded (Lev. 10:1). We may shrug it off easily for, after all, nobody is consumed by the fire of the Lord anymore! But that does not eliminate the seriousness of the situation. To deviate from God's instructions, especially when His will is clearly spelled out for us, is foolishness. God has given us His blueprint for the church (1 Tim. 1–2; 1 Cor. 14; et al.), and we would do well not to muddy the representation.
But there is another, greater preview of Christ's redemption—one that has been around since the beginning. Marriage. I use the word greater because marriage was established before the temple, before the church, and before the Fall of mankind into sin. From the beginning, God showed us Christ's passion for His bride in Adam's jubilant love song when he first beheld his wife, Eve (Gen. 2:23). He showed us the birth of the church through Christ's sacrifice in the creation of Eve from Adam's rib (Gen. 2:21).
God previewed the agony of the cross, the victory over sin, and Christ's covering righteousness for all believers in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15–21). In the very first marriage we are given a foretaste of the eternal marriage to come, the consummation of our heavenly engagement, the reuniting of Christ and His bride—the church! Not coincidentally, we also find practical instructions in God's Word regarding the structure of Christian marriages (Eph. 5:22–33).
Because of the theological weight carried by marriage and the church, we do not have "wiggle room". We are not free to do as we please with God's institutions, acting as if they were our own! We are stewards of the church and of marriage—they are but on loan to us until Christ returns to reclaim them and bring all things to ultimate fulfillment in Himself.
Over 2,000 years ago Christ came to earth, suffered and died for our sins, was resurrected and ascended to Heaven to the right hand of God...but the story is not done yet! The best is still to come! In the meantime, let's make it our aim to give the world such a preview, such a beautiful and exciting glimpse of Jesus that they are drawn to Him, to salvation, and to watching and waiting eagerly for His blessed return!